1. Field of the Invention
The method, apparatuses, and articles described herein generally relate to optical devices, and may, for example, be useful in automatic data collection devices such as optical readers of machine-readable symbols.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, the most prevalent method of adjusting an optical device appears to employ threaded screws. However, adjusting an optical device through use of a screw has a number of disadvantages.
For example, the amount of time and effort required to make an adjustment is disproportionately high relative to the amount of adjustment actually provided. Numerous repeated rotations of the screw are often necessary to achieve the desired adjustment. For example, movement of a lens from one end of the adjustment range to the other end of the adjustment range may take ten rotations of the screw. If, at that point, the user desires to move the lens back to its initial position, the user must rotate the screw ten more times in the opposite direction. In some situations, due to either space constraints or user limitations, it may be difficult to affect both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation with comparative ease. And if the user rotates the screw too far in one direction while the lens is near either end of the adjustment range, the optical device loses the smooth ability to focus.
Furthermore, a screw is typically offset from the optical axis. Such an arrangement may cause misalignment or unequal forces in the carriage mechanism, and/or may require adjustment of multiple screws.
Optical assemblies and methods of manufacturing the same, which address at least some of the aforementioned problems, would be desirable.